BAY CITY, Mich. -- The 2009 campaign provided
ample evidence of the high quality and depth of volleyball
excellence that keeps the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference (GLIAC) in good standing among the best of its peers in
Division II.

Last fall, the conference had six teams advance
to the NCAA Division II Tournament as Saginaw Valley State,
Northern Michigan, Hillsdale, Grand Valley State, Ferris State and
Michigan Tech all earned bids to the volleyball version of the big
show. In claiming six of the eight awarded bids to the NCAA
Division II Midwest Region Tournament, the GLIAC expects that trend
of high-level success to continue in 2010 as its teams gear up to
solidify its position as a premier volleyball conference in
D-II.

In this fall’s preseason GLIAC Volleyball
Coaches’ Poll, Ferris and Grand Valley were picked in a tie
for first in the North Division. The Lakers earned 32 points and
three first-place votes while the Bulldogs had 32 points and two
first-place votes. Hillsdale was picked in the top spot in the
South Division with 36 points and six first-place votes.

The projected preseason divisional leaders,
however, can in no way take anything for granted with fierce
competition ahead each night.

In the North Division, Northern Michigan is
third behind Ferris and Grand Valley with 24 points and one
first-place vote. Saginaw Valley State is fourth with 23 points,
Michigan Tech is fifth with 17 points, Northwood is sixth with 13
points and Lake Superior State is seventh with six points.

In the South Division, Ashland is second with
17 points, Wayne State is third with 22, Findlay is fourth with 19
and one first-place vote, Ohio Dominican is fifth with 13 points,
Tiffin is sixth with 12 points and Lake Erie is seventh with nine
points.

Last season, Hillsdale College made history as
it won a five-set thriller over Saginaw Valley State to win the
2009 GLIAC Volleyball Tournament title. It was the first such win
in the history of the Chargers’ program. During the regular
season, Saginaw Valley finished atop the North Division and
Hillsdale finished atop the South Division to almost set the stage
for their showdown for the tournament championship.

-- The following are previews of all 14 GLIAC
Volleyball teams for the 2010 season --

OVERVIEW: Ashland has a strong cast of
returning players, including three starters back from the 2009
season, on the court. Last season, the Eagles finished above
the .500 mark with a 16-14 record and 9-7 in the GLIAC South
Division (second place) under head coach Connie Surowicz, who is
entering her eighth season on the sidelines for the Eagles. Ashland
is hoping to return to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the
first time since 2007 when it fell to Lewis in the first round of
the regional tournament.

THE PLAYERS: In all, the Eagles return eight
letterwinners led by Brittany Snider, a 5-foot-10 sophomore outside
hitter, who totaled 504 kills, 295 digs and 26 aces. Crystal
Elliott, a sophomore setter, finished with 1,169 assists, 175 digs
and 48 blocks. Arian Martin, a junior libero, ended the 2009 season
with 487 digs and 41 service aces. The seniors on the roster for
the Ashland Eagles are Sophie Paddock and Lauren Schweitzer.
Juniors are Anesia Benton and Arian Martin. The balance of the team
is comprised of sophomores and freshmen.

THE COACH: Connie Surowicz is in her eighth
season as head women’s volleyball coach at Ashland. Surowicz
has a record of 135-81 (at AU). Her overall record, through 18
seasons, is 418-210.

OF INTEREST: Ashland’s women’s
volleyball program has been in existence since 1968 and the
all-time record is 718-527. The program has four NCAA Division II
Tournament appearances with the most recent coming in 2007.

OVERVIEW: Ferris battled hard last season in a
competitive race for the GLIAC North Division title. This year,
with 12 returning letterwinners and four returning starters, the
Bulldogs are primed to compete with the likes of Saginaw Valley,
Grand Valley, Northern Michigan and others. This season, Ferris
welcomes back a talented group of veterans, younger players who
have gained experience and a few newcomers who will be eager to
earn their spots on the roster.

THE PLAYERS: Expected to lead the way for Ferris
this season is 6-foot-2 senior middle hitter Arielle Goodson, who
was a 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Midwest
Region Team, a 2009 All-GLIAC First Team performer and a member of
the 2009 NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team. Other returning
starters include Ashley Huntey, a junior outside hitter and
Samantha Fordyce, a sophomore setter, who has developed nicely
during her time in Big Rapids. Lisa Tobiczyk, a junior, returns as
a top-notch libero who earned 2009 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention
player and a team leader. The Bulldogs must fill in for the losses
of middle hitters Kristy Gilchrist (2009 All-GLIAC First Team),
Sarah Lark and outside hitter Katie Edwards.

THE COACH: Tia Brandel-Wilhelm is entering her
15th season as head coach of the Bulldogs and is joined this season
by top assistant Theresa Beeckman, (sixth season), and Dale Wilhelm
(seventh season).

OF INTEREST: Brandel-Wilhelm enters the 2010
season ranked 24th in best winning percentage among the
nation’s Division II active coaches with a 406-170 (.705)
career mark in 17 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Her 406
career wins represents 23rd place on the Division II active coaches
total victories list.

OVERVIEW: Optimism is running high in Findlay,
Ohio as the Oilers enter the 2010 season with high hopes under head
coach Wick Colchagoff. UF has 10 letterwinners returning to the
court – a group that includes a strong group of experienced
upperclassmen who have matured into leaders through what will be a
tough schedule in the GLIAC. A good group of talented players is
ready to take the leadership responsibilities and younger players
are eager to step in and prove their talent in one of the toughest
NCAA D-II volleyball conferences in the nation.

THE PLAYERS: Erin Thomasson, a junior, is one of
the key returning players for Findlay. Last season, as a sophomore,
she finished with 366 kills en route to earning second-team
All-GLIAC recognition. Abby Lavigne is back after leading the team
with 290 digs. Setter Megan Florence and Jessica VonIns are back to
run the show for the Oilers. Florence is a talented leader who last
season earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention as she averaged 7.1
assists per set and led the team with 78 aces. Junior Morgan Rogers
and sophomore Andrea Holthaus are back and looking to become even
more of a factor this season as leaders at the net in the middle.
Look out also for Danielle Taflinger and Mackenzie Vorst, a pair of
freshmen, to battle for playing time.

THE COACH: The Oilers are coached by Wick
Colchagoff, who enters his 13th season as the head man after the
team finished 15-18 in 2009.

OF INTEREST: Said Colchagoff, “We are very
excited about the mix of athletes that we have on our roster this
fall. We feel we have the right combination of senior leadership,
experienced upperclassmen, and promising freshmen to put an
extremely competitive team on the court every night.”

OVERVIEW: Grand Valley returns four starters
from the 2009 squad and has high hopes of battling once again for
the top spot in the GLIAC. Last year, the Lakers had an up-and-down
season compiling an overall record of 16-13 and 11-5 in the GLIAC
for a second-place finish in the North Division. Successful
long-time head coach Deanne Scanlon has constructed a team that has
a good dose of talent led by Rebeccah Rapin, who finished with 327
kills, a .275 attack percentage and 115 total blocks in 2009. With
Rapin leading the way, Scanlon’s squad plans to battle for
GLIAC supremacy.

THE PLAYERS: During the 2009 season, Rapin
enjoyed another strong season. The Saginaw, Mich. native, playing
middle blocker, was named AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and
All-GLIAC First Team for her efforts. Krysta Kornack, a 6-foot-2
senior from Warren (Mich.), is coming off a season during which she
tallied 158 kills, 79 total blocks and served up 18 aces. Senior
Meghan Scanlon, a 5-foot-7 setter, totaled 580 assists, 202 digs
and 34 aces. Also setting the table, North Branch (Mich.) native
Olivia Kohler racked up 416 assists, 132 digs and 16 aces as a
setter while Eno Umoh,a 5-foot-11 middle blocker, finished
with 103 total blocks to complement 92 kills.

THE COACH: Head coach Deanne Scanlon enters her
16th season leading the Lakers. Scanlon has a career record of
403-115 at Grand Valley. Coach Scanlon is assisted by Craig
Vliestra, Mayme Vlietstra and Brian Netzler.

OF INTEREST: The Lakers open the season on the
road in the Sunshine State as they will compete in the University
of Tampa Tournament. While in Florida, GVSU will play Concordia-St.
Paul, Central Missouri, Nebraska-Kearney and Tampa.

OVERVIEW: Tradition is alive and thriving on
the volleyball court at Hillsdale College. A year ago, the Chargers
added to that strong recent history with a season during which HC
posted a record of 24-8 overall and finished 12-4 in South Division
(first place). Hillsdale earned GLIAC co-champion status last
season, won the 2009 GLIAC Tournament, and advanced to the NCAA
D-II Regional Semifinals under head coach Chris Gravel. The 2009
Chargers were a team of decorated individuals who combined their
talents for a banner season. Many of those individuals are back and
hungry for more success in the fall of 2010.

THE PLAYERS: Leading the returners is Sydney Dow,
a senior who was named the GLIAC “Libero of the Year”
and first-team All-GLIAC in 2009. That just begins the honors,
however, as Dow also was named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team and
was named all-region. Ashlee Crowder also is back, as a junior,
coming off a season in which she totaled 491 kills en route to
earning all-region, GLIAC All-Tournament Team and third-team
All-American honors from the American Volleyball Coaches
Association. Clara Leutheuser, a junior was named an AVCA honorable
mention All-American as she finished with 336 kills and 153 total
blocks. Apryl Schmucker, who added 1,139 assists to go along with
her 174 kills and 255 digs, is coming off a season during which she
was honored as an All-GLIAC Second-Team competitor.

THE COACH: Head Coach Chris Gravel was named the
2009 GLIAC “Coach of the Year.” Gravel also has
compiled 280 career victories (all at Hillsdale)

OF INTEREST: Last season was one of team success
as the Chargers were GLIAC co-Champions, GLIAC Tournament
champions, GLIAC South Division champions and NCAA Division II
Tournament regional semifinalists.

OVERVIEW: This will be a season of transition
for Lake Erie College – much as it is for Ohio Dominican. The
Storm enters its first season in the GLIAC, like ODU, and knows
full well it will be challenged right from the beginning and all
the way through until the end of the campaign. But, Lake Erie does
have a group returning that does have some experience at the
Division II level with 15 players returning and five starters back
in the lineup. The team finished 10-27, but is hopeful the lessons
learned in 2009 will make for better grades on the court during the
2010 season. Said head coach Gary VanCauwenberge,
“We’ve been a very young team the past two seasons, but
our current players have gotten a lot of experience during that
time. I think that with the experience of our returners plus a
strong freshman class, we should be very competitive.”

THE PLAYERS: Mary Walter is back in the lineup
for the Storm and she is coming off a productive season during
which she led the team with 264 kills. Next on the list is Michelle
Naab, who is back after finishing with 187 kills during the 2009
season. Nicole Kunar also makes her return after a 161-kill
campaign a year ago. Krista O’Connor, a junior, and Lauren
Bogatay, also a junior, are back at setter for LEC. O’Connor,
in 2009, finished with 534 assists while Bogatay added 399.
THE COACH: Gary VanCauwenberge is entering his ninth season as the
head coach at Lake Erie College.

OF INTEREST: In addition to serving as the head
coach of the LEC volleyball team, he also is head coach of the
Storm softball team.

OVERVIEW: Lake Superior State is coming off a
very tough season competing in the GLIAC’s ultra-competitive
North Division. The Lakers struggled with a 3-24 record, but does
benefit from some experienced players back in the mix this season
as 10 letterwinners are returning to complement seven newcomers
added by head coach Mark Engle, who is in his 16th season on the
sidelines for Lake State. This will still be a very young squad
with no seniors, but listing eight juniors.

THE PLAYERS: One of the major bright spots last
season for the Lakers was the play of 5-foot-6 Brittany Newberry, a
native of Iron Mountain (Mich). Last fall, playing libero as a
sophomore, Newberry was named All-GLIAC Honorable Mention in as she
averaged 5.69 digs per game (sixth nationally) and compiled a
team-leading 528 digs. Additionally, junior outside hitter Abby
Shereda, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, finished with 154 kills while
sophomore outside hitter Nikki Stratelak, a Grosse Pointe (Mich.)
native, totaled 146 kills. Last year, Janelle Balkwill led the team
with 645 assists while Brandiss Ward tallied 106. This year,
Balkwill and Ward will compete for the setter position, along with
incoming freshman Katie Katie Fitzpatrick and Kristin Kopicki.

THE COACH: Coach Mark Engle, a veteran of the
sidelines in the GLIAC, is back for his 16th season in charge at
Lake Superior. Engle has a career record of 126-318.

OF INTEREST: Engle, who has been at the helm of
the Lake Superior program since 1995. His entire head coaching
career has taken place at Lake Superior.

OVERVIEW: Optimism is running high for college
volleyball in Houghton as Tech commences year two of the era of
Orlando Gonzalez as head coach of the Huskies. This year’s
squad features some fresh faces as Gonzalez and company hope to
build upon the success of last season’s team which qualified
for the NCAA Division II Tournament, but lost eight players in the
time since. The coaching staff has added new talent that includes
three transfers who could pay early dividends for the Huskies as
MTU battles it out against some of the best teams in the region and
the nation in the GLIAC’s North Division.

THE PLAYERS: Kristine Sexton is a leading
returner for the Huskies at 6-foot-2 and as a junior up front.
Sexton garnered All-GLIAC First Team honors a year ago as she led
the team with 373 kills and with an attack percentage of .248.
Alicia Schneider is back coming off a season during which she
tallied 171 kills. Sophomore Lindsey Sathre is back off an injury
and Kathleen Storm could factor into the mix as well. At setter,
Madeline Haben returns with experience after totaling 1,136 assists
during her freshman campaign in 2009. Skylar Paffenroth and
freshman Ciara Sebelius are chasing Haben for playing time. The
Huskies do have several newcomers who could be critical components
this season.

THE COACH: Orlando Gonzalez embarks on his second
season as the head coach at Michigan Tech after serving as an
assistant coach for the 2008 season at Northwood, a GLIAC rival of
the Huskies.

OF INTEREST: The Huskies begin the season with
some tough competition in Big Rapids at the Ferris State
Invitational, with four tough matches expected, Sept. 3-4.

OVERVIEW: Northern Michigan, like several GLIAC
teams, enters the 2010 campaign with the hopes of competing for
conference supremacy. Dominic Yoder, who is entering his fourth
season as the head coach of the Wildcats, welcomes back a team with
five returning starters (with three lost). The Wildcats will have a
young, but talented look on the court. Last season, Northern
Michigan finished tied for second place in the North Division in
the standings with Grand Valley and just behind Saginaw Valley.

THE PLAYERS: From the 2009 squad, Northern lost
two first-team All-GLIAC players in Amy Andersen-Goldsworthy, who
was a middle hitter, and Mandie Meyer, an outside hitter. In
addition, NMU graduated Cassie Osiecki, who was All-GLIAC Second
Team and Katt Garvick, who was All-GLIAC Honorable Mention. Back on
the court for Northern are Sami Vierk, a 6-foot junior middle
hitter and Emma Wolfe, a 6-footer who plays the left side and
middle hitter. Additionally, Becca Feuerherd, Katie Twardzik and
Abby Lovell are back for NMU this season. The top newcomers this
season for Northern are Kristin Wetzel, Ellen Lemos, Carolina Lopes
and Catherine Waybright.

THE COACH: Head coach Dominic Yoder is in his
fourth season working to return and keep the tradition-rich
Northern Michigan program among the nation’s elite. In his
first three seasons, Yoder had a record of 59-36. Yoder is being
assisted this season by Kim Falkenhagen and Hayvolla Leite.

OF INTEREST: NMU’s 2010 roster includes
three players from Brazil in 5-foot-11 sophomore left side Dani
Branco, 5-foot-11 freshman Ellen Lemos and 5-foot-10 left side Ana
Lopes.

OVERVIEW: Northwood has a great tradition in
volleyball, but last season was a difficult one for the
Timberwolves. NU was 8-19 overall and 6-10 in the GLIAC a year ago.
While the record is a tough one for the Timberwolves, it comes in
one of the tougher NCAA Division II volleyball conferences in the
nation. Northwood, however, is a team known for its competitive
nature under head coach Tim Koth. Competing this season in the
North Division, Northwood hopes the experience it gained last year
will pay off as it regularly battles the likes of Ferris, Grand
Valley, Northern and Saginaw Valley.

THE PLAYERS: Sladjana Mitrovic, a 6-foot-1 senior
from Serbia, could be in store for a breakthrough season on the
court. Mitrovic totaled 317 kills, 36 blocks (five solo blocks) for
the Timberwolves. Another key returner is Laura Chapman, a senior,
who had 749 assists and had 32 kills. She also served up 22 aces.
Jolyn Timms, a senior from Adrian, is back in the lineup after
posting 249 kills last season. Sara Skornia, a 6-foot-1 middle
blocker from Bay City, is back after a 107-kill campaign in
2009.

THE COACH: Head coach Tim Koth enters his seventh
season at Northwood and owns a record of 102-77 for the
Timberwolves. Prior to his arrival at NU, Koth was head coach of
the Quincy men’s and women’s volleyball programs for
eight seasons.

OF INTEREST: In his first season as head coach
at Northwood, Koth led the Timberwolves to a 21-10 overall record
and a final national ranking of 18. That year, the team was ranked
as high as 14th and started the season 12-1.

OVERVIEW: The 2010 campaign marks the first for
Ohio Dominican in the GLIAC, and that represents quite a challenge.
Last season was a positive one for ODU, as the Panthers competed as
an NAIA independent and compiled an impressive record of 24-18 in
its final season prior to joining the GLIAC. This season, ODU
welcomes back nine letterwinners from last season, including five
returning starters. The team has added six newcomers who will fill
out the roster and possibly compete for playing time on the court
this season.

THE PLAYERS: Leading the way for Ohio Dominican
this season could be Rachel Billing, a 5-foot-11 junior. Billing
finished the 2009 season with 436 kills and 551 digs. Also look out
for Summer Hale, an outside hitter/setter, and Shannon Nadler, a
6-foot-2 sophomore middle hitter. Hale had 282 kills and 426
assists while Nadler added 261 kills and 129 total blocks (44 solo
blocks). Senior setter Elyse Mongillo had 580 assists last season.
Stacy Rogg, a junior outside hitter, and Cassie Vome, a senior
outside hitter, also bring solid numbers back to the floor for the
Panthers. Rogg finished the 2009 season with 207 kills while Vome
added 193. Kristy Birkemeier, who had 156 kills and 137 total
blocks (21 solo blocks), is another player who had a strong 2009
campaign and could be called upon to contribute in 2010.

THE COACH: Sandy Rowley is entering her 22nd
season as head coach of Ohio Dominican (436-367).

OF INTEREST: Rowley has been a member of the
Panther athletic department for more than a quarter century. As the
Panthers transition to the NCAA Division II, Rowley has taken on a
new role within the ODU Athletic Department as Senior Women’s
Administrator. As the SWA, Rowley oversees the Panther Student
Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and other administrative
duties.

OVERVIEW: Saginaw Valley State enjoyed a banner
season in 2009 as the Cardinals earned GLIAC co-champion status,
compiled a record of 22-10 overall and a 12-4 mark in its division
of the GLIAC – no small task considering competition from the
likes of Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Northern Michigan and
Michigan Tech. SVSU went on to win the GLIAC North Division and
advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second
consecutive year. The Cardinals do have big shoes to fill, due to
the graduation of key players, but SVSU has built a solid
foundation it expects will carry on into the near future and
through the long term.

THE PLAYERS: The Cardinals, coming off a strong
2009 season, hope to reload for 2010 in spite of the losses of some
key players in the lineup. SVSU graduated Kait Harris, a setter who
was the GLIAC “Player of the Year” and an All-GLIAC
First Team performer, Jaclyn Carnago, who was an All-GLIAC Second
Team competitor; and Allison Schlinkert, who was an All-GLIAC
Honorable Mention student-athlete. Although some talented players
have moved on, the Cardinals do have talent back this season. Annie
Buxton, an outside hitter from Ontario, earned All-GLIAC First Team
honors as a sophomore, and Jessica Treiber, who was an All-GLIAC
Second Team player last season.

THE COACH: Will Stanton, the 2008 AVCA Midwest
Region “Coach of the Year,” led the team to a record of
22-10 overall and 12-4 in the GLIAC in 2009.

OF INTEREST: Last season, Saginaw Valley State
emerged on top in a hotly-contested battle for the GLIAC North
Division title. The Cardinals finished first at 12-4, Northern and
Grand Valley had matching records of 11-5 while Ferris and Michigan
Tech finished 10-6.

OVERVIEW: A new era begins in volleyball for
the Tiffin Dragons as Dana Cordova begins her first campaign as
head coach of the program. Cordova takes over for T.J. Shouse, who
resigned at the end of last season. Cordova will have some work to
do as Tiffin comes off a tough season during which it finished with
a record of 4-29 overall and 0-16 in the GLIAC. This season, the
Dragons will try to add some talented newcomers to a solid group of
leading returners for Cordova and her assistant, Maggie Peterson.
Jessica Adams, a setter; Amanda Marquardt, a defensive specialist;
Brittany Teaford, a middle hitter; and Brooke Bernabei, an outside
hitter, are listed as seniors, while Danielle McQuade (DS/OH),
McKenzie Wright (6-0 right side hitter) and Maureen Kurtz (5-11
middle hitter) hope to bring some size and ability to the
attack.

THE PLAYERS: Brittany Teaford totaled a strong
season with 287 kills and served up 25 aces. Jessica Adams finished
with 942 assists and 81 kills and Brook Bernabei had 306 kills and
29 service aces. The roster of the Dragons has 7 varsity freshmen,
four juniors and three sophomores entering the 2009 season. The
coaching staff will work to get the most out of the returners and
newcomers experience.

THE COACH: Dana Cordova is entering her first
season as the head coach of the Tiffin University Dragons.

OF INTEREST: A native of Trinidad, Colo., Cordova
was a standout athlete who garnered all-state recognition in both
volleyball and basketball and was a four-time state qualifier in
track. Cordova later attended Otero Junior College on a basketball
scholarship before finishing her degree at McPherson College.

OVERVIEW: Wayne State is coming off of a strong
2009 campaign that included a third-place finish in the
GLIAC’s South Division. At 19-9 last season, in a league as
tough as the GLIAC, the Warriors hope they are poised to build on
their success from a year ago and have that success translate into
more positives in 2010. WSU has some experience back with seven
letterwinners on the roster, but the Warriors also lost seven
letterwinners. Coming into the program are six newcomers for head
coach Phil Nickel, who is 36-21 in two seasons at Wayne State.

THE PLAYERS: Wayne State returns significant
talent from last season’s squad led by Katarzyna Sak, a
6-foot middle blocker, who finished with 178 kills, 14 service
aces, 50 digs and 81 total blocks (18 solo blocks). With losses of
some talented players from the 2009 squad, the Warriors will need
some younger, but talented players on the squad to emerge this
season. Included in that group could be Madie Kent, a sophomore
outside hitter from Grosse Pointe Woods (Mich.), who totaled 64
kills in 2009 as a freshman; Cydney Biessel, a sophomore setter,
who last season set up teammates with 1,015 assists; and Maureen
McDonald, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter who led the team with 335 digs
to go along with 12 service aces.

THE COACH: Phil Nickel enters his third campaign
as the head coach of Wayne State. In four seasons as a head coach,
he owns a career record of 70-64.

OF INTEREST: Coach Nickel has built a strong
coaching background that includes significant Division I volleyball
coaching experience having served as an assistant at Houston
(2002-07), Illinois State (2000-01) and Wright State (1998-99).